Story perspectives

AEVEX to acquire BlackSea for up to $650 million

8/15/2026

Summary

Story summary

AEVEX Corp. will acquire BlackSea Technologies for up to $650 million in cash, shares and earnout.
Closing is slated for September 2026 pending Hart-Scott-Rodino antitrust review.
BlackSea projects $150 million FY 2026 revenue and a facility that can build 40 unmanned surface vessels per month.
AEVEX will merge its CompassX autonomy stack with BlackSea platforms for GPS-denied navigation.
CEOs Roger Wells and Bob Pudney said the deal will create the largest autonomous systems provider.

History

Historical Context

Boeing bought Aurora Flight Sciences in November 2017, adding a firm founded by John Langford in 1989 that had built UAVs such as the Orion and the NASA-backed D8 airliner concept. The D8 project began in 2008 with a $2.9 million NASA grant and reflects Boeing’s long-standing strategy, dating back to its 1997 McDonnell Douglas merger, to broaden autonomous and defense capabilities.

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Story summary

AEVEX Corp. will acquire BlackSea Technologies for up to $650 million in cash, shares and earnout.
Closing is slated for September 2026 pending Hart-Scott-Rodino antitrust review.
BlackSea projects $150 million FY 2026 revenue and a facility that can build 40 unmanned surface vessels per month.
AEVEX will merge its CompassX autonomy stack with BlackSea platforms for GPS-denied navigation.
CEOs Roger Wells and Bob Pudney said the deal will create the largest autonomous systems provider.

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